Sampling devices for bulk materials



May 10, 1966 F. JORDISON SAMPLING DEVICES FOR BULK MATERIALS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 16, 1963 lA/YEAIToR FRED JBR I By 2' Mi-W May 0, 1966 F. JORDISON 3,250,131

SAMPLING DEVICES FOR BULK MATERIALS Filed Aug. 16, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TLR FR E D JORDIS'ON By lVo v k w Ba l/mom Cath y 9 F. JORDISON 3,250,131

SAMPLING DEVICES FOR BULK MATERIALS Filed Aug. 16, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 F E 0 SoRD' ON United States Patent 3,250,131 SAMPLING DEVICES FOR BULK MATERIALS Fred Jordison, Durham City, England, assignor to The Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited, Birmingham, England, a British company Filed Aug. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 302,639 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Aug. 17, 1962, 31,599/ 62 13 Claims. (Cl. 73-424) This invention relates to sampling devices for bulk materials, and is concerned more particularly with devices in which bulk material is automatically reduced into a steady stream from which a sample in the form of a number of small increments selected at regular intervals can be taken.

According to the present invention we now propose a sampling device for sampling bulk materials by the removal of a portion of the material at regular intervals, comprising upper and lower spaced horizontal plates arranged to be rotated about a vertical axis with provision for material deposited on the upper plate to be allowed to fall from it onto the lower plate at a fixed angular position, and one or more apertures in the lower plate in a radial position such that, as the plates rotate, the aperture comes repeatedly under the stream of material falling from the upper plate, allowing the material to fall through the aperture for collection as a sample.

Preferably the plates are circular, the lower plate being of greater diameter than the upper plate.

The plates are preferably coupled together, and the rotary element thus formed may be driven by any suitable geared motor or through a reduction gear.

A chute may be provided for receiving sample material falling through the aperture or apertures in the lower plate.

A spiral feed vane may be incorporated with the upper plate for feeding material in a steady stream through the outlet chute to the lower plate.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a sampling device accord ing to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the sampling device of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation to a reduced scale, with parts removed, of the sampling device shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view to a larger scale taken generally on the line IV-IV in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view to a reduced scale of a detail of the sampling device shown in FIGURES l to 3;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a modification of the detail shown in FIGURE 5.

The sampling device illustrated comprises a rotary element generally indicated at 10 rotatably mounted in a box-like frame 11 and arranged to be driven from an electric motor 12 carried on one side of the frame through a belt drive 13 and a reduction gearbox 14. The overall speed reduction is such that with the motor 12 running at 960 r.p.m. the rotary element 10 rotates at 16 r.p.m.

The rotary element 10 comprises two horizontally disposed spaced discs or plates on a common vertical axis, an upper disc or plate and a larger lower disc or plate 16. The greater part of the upper surface of the upper disc 15 is covered by a stationary drum-like shroud 17 which is secured to the frame 11 and which is provided with a centrally formed chute 18 through which the bulk material to be sampled is arranged to be supplied and deposited on the surface of the upper disc, which rotates slowly ina counterclockwise direction as seen in FIG- URE 1.

The shroud 17 carries a chute 19 adjacent the periphery of the disc 15 and a blade 20 having an involute form in plan is disposed with one end rotatably mounted on an eccentric pin 21 on the disc 15 and the other end secured to a side of the chute 19 so that the rotation of the disc 15 causes bulk material which has been deposited thereon to be moved towards the periphery of the disc and pushed over the edge into the chute 19 in a continuous stream. The movement of the eccentric blade 20 ensures good mixing of the bulk material and helps to prevent blockages on the disc 15.

The lower disc 16 is of larger diameter than the upper disc 15 and is formed with at least one delivery aperture 22 at the same radius from the axis of rotation as the chute 19 so that when these two are in register material falling from the chute 19 will pass through the aperture 22 into a sample discharge chute 23 carried beneath the disc 16. A sample of the bulk material fed onto the upper disc 15can be collected in increments in a container placed below the chute 23. As is best shown in FIGURE 4, triangular-section lips 24 are formed on the edge of each delivery aperture to give a clean cut-01f to the sample increment taken from the continuous stream of material falling from the chute 19.

When the chute 19 is not in register with an aperture the rejected material falls onto an imperforate portion of the disc 16 and is carried round with the disc to meet a fixed brush 25 arranged at an angle to the direction of rotation. Rotation of the disc 16 past the brush causes the rejected material to be brushed off the edge of the disc or through one of the apertures 22 and to fall into a reject chute 26 from which it is discharged.

Where the apertures 22 are not provided with lips 24 the brush 25 could be replaced by a fixed vane in sliding contact with the flat upper surface of the disc 16.

In a modification the fixed brush 25 could be replaced by a rotating brush 25a (see FIGURE 6) located above the reject chute 26 driven for example by an independent rope drive 27.

It will be appreciated that the dimensions of the device depend on the amount of material to be sampled in a given time, and on the particle sizes, and that the relative positions of the sample and reject chutes can be varied depending on the site location in which the device is operating.

I claim:

1. A sampling device for sampling bulk materials by the removal of a portion of the material at regular intervals, comprising upper and lower spaced horizontal plates rotatable about a common vertical axis, driving means operative to rotate said plates, means retaining material on the upper plate until it has reached a fixed angular position where it falls to the lower plate in a continuous stream, the lower plate being provided with at least one aperture in a radial position such that on operation of said driving means to rotate the plates said aperture comes repeatedly under said continuous stream allowing some of the material to fall through said aperture for collection as a sample.

2. A sampling device according to claim 1 in which the upper and lower plates are coupled to rotate together.

3. A sampling device according to claim 1 including means operative on rotation of said upper plate for causing mixing of the material deposited thereon before it falls onto the lower plate.

4. A sampling device according to claim 3 in which the means for causing mixing of the material on the upper plate comprise a spiral blade, an eccentric pin on the upper plate, the inner end of said spiral blade being rotatably mounted on said .pin, the outer end of said blade being secured to a fixed point adjacent the periphery of the upper plate so that on rotation of this plate the blade mixes any material present on the upper plate and discharges it therefrom in a continuous stream in the region of said fixed point.

5. A sampling device according to claim 4 wherein said material retaining means comprises a stationary shroud, said shroud enclosing the upper plate over most of its area, and a chute, said chute being supported by said shroud and serving to guide material discharged from this plate.

6. A sampling device for sampling bulk materials by the removal of a portion of the materialat regular intervals, comprising upper and lower spaced horizontal plates coupled to rotate together about a common vertical axis, driving means operative to rotate said plates, means retaining material on the upper plate until it has reached a fixed angular position where it falls to said lower plate in a continuous stream, said lower plate being provided with at least one aperture in a radial position such that on operation of said driving means to rotate the plates said aperture comes repeatedly under said continuous stream allowing some of the material to fall through said aperture for collection as a sample, and means for continuously removing material deposited on the surface of the lower plate.

7. A sampling device according to claim 6 in which the means for continuously removing material deposited on the surface of the lower plate comprise a fixed blade arranged in sliding engagement with the upper surface of the lower plate and at an angle to the direction of rotation. 3. A sampling device according to claim 6 in which said aperture in the lower plate is of segmental form and including a radially disposed triangular-sectioned lip at each end of said aperture and in which the means for continuously removing material deposited on the surface of the lower plate comprise a fixed brush arranged in sliding engagement with the upper surface of the lower plate. 9. A sampling device according to claim 6 in which the means for continuously removing material deposited on the surface of the lower plate comprise a rotating circular brush arranged in engagement with the upper surface of the lower plate.

10. A sampling device for sampling bulk materials by the removal, of a portion of the material at regular intervals, comprising upper and lower spaced horizontal plates coupled to rotate together about a common vertical axis, driving means operative to rotate said plates, means operative on rotation of said upper plate for causing mixing of material deposited thereon these means comprising a spiral blade rotatably mounted at one end on the upper plate, the other end of said blade being secured to a fixed point adjacent the periphery of the upper plate so that rotation of this plate causes the blade to move in a manner calculated to mix any material present on the upper plate and discharge it therefrom onto said lower plate in a continuous stream in the region of said fixed point, the lower plate being provided with at least one aperture in a radial position such that on operation of said driving means to rotate the plates, said aperture comes repeatedly under said continuous stream allowing some of the material to fall through said aperture for collection as a sample, and means for continuously removing material deposited on the surface of the lower plate.

11. A sampling device according to claim 10 in which the means for continuously removing material deposited on the surface of the lower plate comprise a fixed blade arranged in sliding engagement with the upper surface of the lower plate and at an angle to the direction of rotation.

12. A sampling device according to claim 10 in which said aperture in the lower plate is of segmental form, and including a radially disposed triangular-sectioned lip at each end and of said aperture, and in which the means for continuously removing material deposited on the surface of the lower plate comprise a fixed brush arranged in slidingengagement with the upper surface of the lower plate.

13. A sampling device according to claim 10 in which the. means for continuously removing material deposited on the surface of the lower plate comprise a rotating circular brush arranged in engagement with the upper surface of the lower plate.

References Cited by the Examiner LOUIS R. PRINCE, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD QUEISSER, Examiner. 

1. A SAMPLING DEVICE FOR SAMPLING BULK MATERIALS BY THE REMOVAL OF A PORTION OF THE MATERIAL AT REGULAR INTERVALS, COMPRISING UPPER AND LOWER SPACED HORIZONTAL PLATES ROTATABLE ABOUT A COMMON VERTICAL AXIS, DRIVING MEANS OPERATIVE TO ROTATE SAID PLATES, MEANS RETAINING MATERIAL ON THE UPPER PLATE UNTIL IT HAS REACHED A FIXED ANGULAR POSITION WHERE IT FALLS TO THE LOWER PLATE IN A CONTINUOUS STREAM, THE LOWER PLATE BEING PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST APERTURE IN A RADIAL POSITION SUCH THAT ON OPERATION OF SAID DRIVING MEANS TO ROTATE THE PLATES SAID APERTURE COMES REPEATEDLY UNDER SAID CONTINUOUS STREAM ALLOWING SOME OF THE MATERIAL TO FALL THROUGH SAID APERTURE FOR COLLECTION AS A SAMPLE. 